Tire-tightener.



.l. B. LAND.

TIRE TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION HLEDJUNE 6. 1914.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

WL WM SL J @Ui/imam@ @Hor/mm3 l JOSEPH B. LAND, OF NEW POINT,

inninna.

TIRE-TIGETENER.

Application filed June 6, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrri B. LAND, acitizen of the United States, residing at New Point, in the county ofDecaturI and State of indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tire-Tighteners, of which the following is a.specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inmetallic tires for vehicle wheels, and has for its object to provide adevice of this character which embodies novel features of construetionwhereby the tire can be quickly tightened or loosened upon the rim atany time without the use of special tools, thereby enabling properadjustment to be made so that the wheel will not dish in wet weather orbecome loose in dry weather.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its con#struction, which is so designed as to entirely eliminate the necessityfor using tire bolts, which enables the tire to be quickly removed forthe purpose of putting in new spokes and the like, and which can bereadily locked so as to remain in any adjusted position.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description, and accompanying drawing, in which i Figure l isa side elevation of a portion of a wheel provided with a tireconstructed in accordance with the invention, portions being broken awayand shown in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 ofFig. l. Fig. L is a view similar to Fig. l, showing a pair of fillingmembers or wedges as employed in connection with the key block. Fig. 5is a detail perspective view of the locking sprinO. F ig. 6 is a similarview of one form of lling member or wedge. Fig. 7 is a similar view ofanother form of filling member or wedge. Fig. 8 is a detail perspectiveview of the head at one end of the tire.

Corresponding and like'parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated Specification of Letters Patent.

LBatented dan.. si, 1.3i.

Serial No. Sf.

in all the views of the reference characters.

Specifically describing the present einbod'iment of the invention, thenumeral l designates a wheel rim which has a split or break therein, theends of the rim at the split portion thereof being rounded as indicatedat la. A metallic tire 2 extends around the periphery of the rim l andalso has a split or break therein. The ends of the tire 2 terminate inthe enlarged heads 3 wnich are offset on the inner sides thereof andhave the opposed square faces 3 which are radially disposed with respectto the wheel. The enlarged heads 3 have the rear faces thereof curved at3h in a manner corresponding to the curved ends lfL of the rim l so asto engage and fit tightly against the same. lt will also be observedthat the cross section of the heads 8 is the same as the combined crosssection of the rim l and tire 2, so that to a casual observer the rimand tire are continuous. The outer surface of the rim l is convened intransverse section, while the in` ner surface of the tire 2 iscorrespondingly concaved in cross section, as indicated by Fig. Thischannel or concaved formation of the tire 2 admits of the saine beingapplied to the rim l and clamped securely i position thereon without thenecessity of using any tire bolts. The curved inner faces 3l of theenlarged heads 3 are also slightly recessed at 3C to receive the ends laof the rim l and hold the said ends of the rim securely in position.

A. block e is interposed betw en the opposed radial faces 8a cf the twoheads 3 and has a cross section exactly correspond ing to the crosssection of the said head 8 so as to iill in the space between the twoheads and provide a substantially continuous surface on all sidesthereof. Extending longitudinally through the key block 1i is a bolt 5,the ends of the bolt projecting from opposite ends of the block andbeing provided with right and left hand threads respectively. The middleportion of the bolt 5 is anchored in the key block 4 so that the boltwill always turn when the key block is rotated, and for this purpose thesaid bolt is shown as formed with a polygonal enlargement 6 which isembedded in the key block. The opposite ends of the bolt 5 are receivedwithin correspondingly threaded recesses 7 in the enlarged heads 8drawing by the same` so that when the key block 4: is given a turn inone direction the tire is tightened, while when the key block is given aturn in the other direction the tire is loosened.

It is contemplated to employ suitable locking means for holding the keyblock Ll in an adjusted position, and for this purpose a locking strip9, shown in detail in Fig. 5, is provided. A square headed screw or bolt8 passes through a central opening 9 in the locking strip 9 to securethe locking strip to the key block il. rhe side of the key-block 4 isrecessed at la to receive the locking strip 9 when the latter is inoperative position and the enlarged heads 3 are formed with sockets orrecesses l0 adapted to receive the ends of the locking strip 9. It willVthus be obvious that when the locking stripv 9 is retained in operativeposition by the bolt 8, the key block el is held securely againstrotation and the tire maintained in an adjusted position. However, whenit is desired to rotate the key block 4 Uo tighten or loosen the tire,this can be readily done by first unscrewing the bolt S a sufficientamount to admit of the locking strip 9 being withdrawn from the recessfifa of the key-block 4 and the sockets or recesses 10 of the enlargedheads 3.

Occasions may arise in which spaces will remain between the key-block 4and the radial faces 3 of the enlarged heads 3, and in order to preventthe accumulation of mud and dirt within these spaces, filling members orwedges 1l may be provided. These filling members may be formed of anysuitable inaterial, although they are preferably formed of a slightlyelastic material so that they will tend to adjust themselves to the sizeof the space. As indicated by Fig. 6, the filling member 11 has acentral opening 11a to receive the locking bolt 5 and hold it inposition. ln Fig. 7 a modified form of filling member or wedge is shown,said wedge being indicated by the numeral 12 and having the facesthereof provided with transverse serrations l2, while the base thereofposed surfaces with which they are brought Y into contact so as to holdthe filling member or wedge securely in position.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is l A device of the character describedincluding a split wheel rim, a tire applied to the rim and having acorresponding break therein, said tire being formed with enlarged headswhich engage the ends of the rim and have substantially the same crosssection as the combined tire and rim, said enlarged heads being providedin the opposed faces thereof with threaded openings arranged inalinement with each other and being also provided upon correspondingsides thereof with recesses, a key block interposed between the heads ofthe tire and having substantially the same cross section as the same, alocking bolt extending through the key block and projecting fromopposite sides thereof, the ends of the locking bolt having a threadedengageinent'with the before mentioned openings of the heads of the tire,a spring strip terminating at its opposite ends in noses adapted toengage the recesses of the heads, and a screw adjustably securing themiddle portion of the spring strip to the key block so that by looseningthe screw the spring strip can be disengagedV from the recesses of theheads preparatory to rotating the key block.

In testimony whereof VI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH B. LAND.

l'Vitnesses z H. l5. MGKEE, H. M. LoYD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

